Page 24 of Intrigued By A Highlander

“Not too far I hope,” Hannah whispered, shooting another glance behind her.

“Where’s Dugan?” Dru asked.

“He’s butchering the meat he caught from an early morning hunt.” Hannah’s eyes shifted nervously past Dru.

Dru moved to the end of the table to the bowl of bread, only to feel the weight of a stare pressing against her back.

After scooping up a chunk, she turned.

The bearded man had followed her in.

He didn’t move closer. Didn’t speak. Just stood there, watching.

“More drink?” Hannah asked the fellow as she reached for a large jug nearby.

“Nay. I see what I want,” the man said, not taking his eyes off Dru.

She’d dealt with men like him before. And she’d handled men like this before, but there were more of them out there and she had the sense they were traveling together.

Hannah turned to Dru. “I’ll get you that food and drink.”

“I heard her ask where Dugan was,” the man said. “I can take her to him.”

“After she eats,” Hannah said, reaching for a bowl, a nervous tremor to her hand.

Dru didn’t want Hannah to suffer for trying to help her.

Dru turned a deep scowl on the man. “I don’t need you taking me anywhere.”

The man grinned. “Maybe you don’t have a need, but I have an aching need.”

“Why would I let a sloven fool like you touch me?”

He didn’t take offense. Instead, he laughed. “You have no choice. I want you. I’ll have you. Though I do prefer a woman with more meat on her. More to hold onto when I pound her good. But you’ll do in a pinch.”

“Do you always sweet-talk a woman before poking her?” Dru asked, keeping him talking as long as she could to give Knox time to reach her.

He scratched his unkempt beard. “Never found the need. All a woman has to do is get on her hands and knees and let me get done with it. I’m quick at it and that pleases them.”

“I bet it does,” Dru said, realizing the man was more a fool than she thought, and that level of stupidity could be dangerous.

“It does,” he boasted proudly and waved at Dru. “So, come on, let’s get done with it. My ache is growing.”

The bump in his plaid confirmed that and Dru shook her head. “You’re not poking me.”

“Willing or unwilling, it makes no difference to me,” he said and lunged toward Dru.

She grabbed the large jug, Hannah had lifted toward her, and swung just in time, catching the man in the face and cringing when she heard a vicious crack.

The man fell to the floor and Dru didn’t waste a minute, jumping over him and out the door.

“You bitch. You’ll pay for this.”

Dru chanced a quick glance back, surprised to see him already on his feet and in the doorway, blood streaming from his nose that was so bent out of shape that you wouldn’t think it was a nose.

“Grab her,” he shouted.

Dru barely had time to react before a rough hand clamped onto her arm, jerking her backward. She twisted, trying to wrench free, but the man was built like an ox, his grip crushing.

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